Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Not sure when I bought this one but the beau and I are brewing it up today. At first I thought it was an herbal, but apparently there is a bit of white tea in there somewhere. Tea is the 5th ingredient listed though, so it can’t be much! For Davids to charge $11.75/50 g for a glorified herbal is kind of outrageous, and helps explain why I only bought 10 grams. I like Davids in general but that is just ridiculous.

All 10 of those grams steeped in our pot for about 4 minutes in 90 degree water. The resulting brew is pink from the hibby and rosehips though the aroma is sweet, like the brown sugar crust on an apple crisp. I’m not necessarily picking up rhubarb or strawberry in the aroma, but crumble is there for sure. That’s actually pretty impressive. I’m picking up some serious cinnamon which is worrying but this blend also has rock sugar in it so I am hoping the cinnamon, hibby and sugar balance each other out.

This smells much better than the strawberry rhubarb parfait from Davids that I had over Christmas…The cost is still bothering me, but the smell is divine. First sips are sweetened cinnamon, hint of fruit and then smooth sugar, like I’m eating rock candy. Well, I guess I kind of am. There is a build-uip of sweetness and pastry which I really like but I’m not getting the fruit like I might hope. I love strawberries and always want strawberrty tea to hit me over the head. This doesn’t do that, but it does a very good sweet fruity crumble. I’m not picking up any white tea, but that’s to be expected with the ingredients this has.

In the end I definitely can’t get over the cost (for shame!) but this is really nice. Flavour is a 70 – 75 but cost to flavour is closer to a 30. Glad to have tried it but I definitely won’t be getting more.

As the cup cools the hibby starts taking over so I shall take my leave and finish the rest of the cup. The beau is playing the God of War Ascension demo and I am considering some Just Dance 4 when he is finished. I love the dancy games, but this one is really rocking my socks. I have goals to accomplish, I love that sort of thing!

This is so tasty, wow! I am now intrigued about trying it steeped for only half a minute. It’s really good after four though.

It smells exactly as it should, fruity, tart, and like cinnamony baked goods. And then it tastes like this too! The hibiscus makes it a bit too tart for my liking, but I’m also too tired to get up and get myself sugar. And F1 qualifying is about to start and I have to watch it on my laptop. Poor boyfriend’s TV got fried in one of the many storms last week.

As usual with flavored whites from DavidsTea, the tea is hardly detectable underneath all the fruit. As much as I’d love to get more of this in the future, the price is just too much. But ugh it really tastes like a crumble in a cup.

Thanks, Kittenna!

Thanks jessiwrites!

Gah the deep pink steep colour of hibiscus :|

But it smells so delectable. Like a cross between strawberry rhubarb and warm apple pie. Both of which are delicious.

First sip and I’m actually enjoying it. What?! Enjoying hibiscus? According to David’s website it’s actually hibiscus flowers. There it is.

It’s looking good for this tea. Yum!

The second steep is not as flavourful but still drinkable :)

Update April 17/13: I’m so upset now that I’ve decided I love this one enough to keep around, it’s gone. Bleh. jessiwrites was awesome to send me a few more cups of it, thank goodness.

Not bad on the hibiscus, certainly not as tart as some! Cinnamon comes through nicely as does a slightly sweet flavor. I get the berries as well. I am not rating this one because it is so weak and either I did something wrong or it is just a weak tea but I can’t be sure. I have to note this is the second tea I have steeped today that came out weak.
What I do taste is by no means bad though – its quite nice but I find it odd that Davids Tea considers it a fall type tea. Sure there is some cinnamon in it but I feel it is far too much on the light side to be a fall tea. Anyway it is nice just not something I would order on first sip.
I am not getting the crumble flavor although I can sure smell it which is nice.
I just wish it tasted the way it smelled! :)
I ended up adding the rest of the leaf I had in my sample and steeping two more minutes which did help boost the flavor some but not a ton. I added sugar in the raw which helped a little too. At least the addition of leaves and two extra minutes didnt HURT the tea or make it bitter!
I DO want to thank Kyrstalyen for sending me some! She is an absolute doll with her trades and very generous!
I am off to try something else form my goodie bag!

I’ve been saving my Fall teas sampler from David’s until I’d decupboarded some things. Well, that went out the window this morning. And then I noticed that the Winter collection is already out…

Opened this little bag up, and the smell is divine. Identical to a baking crumble, right down to the crumble brown sugar/cinnamon/oats scent. Smell of the brewed cup is just as delicious. It smells calorie-laden and decadent.

Taste isn’t quite up to the smell. It’s more fresh strawberry than anything else. There’s a hint of the cinnamon/crumble, but not as powerful as the berry. I do also get some hibiscus taste as well. Can’t really taste the white tea at all.

Is it what it’s name says? To a point. Scent is 100% accurate, taste not so much. It’s delicious, but I’m a little disappointed that the two don’t match better. I also feel this would have benefited from being a rooibos or honeybush base: the white tea is essentially lost here, and the rooibos/honeybush may have helped carry the crumble/cinnamon flavors better.

As the cup cools, the crumble taste does come out more. A lot more, in fact. So much so that I’m tempted to delete what I’ve written and start fresh. I’ve never ahd a cup change this much as it cooled. Hibiscus is still there, though, so if you’re not a fan, I’d recommend staying away.

I finally got around to trying this. I bought it in the spring (to me anything strawberry, rhubarb is a spring/summer treat, not a fall one) and I’ve steeped it twice and left it too long. So this morning I brewed it up.

The dry notes smell fruity and cinnamonie, and it stays like this through out. I didn’t find this to be a very flavourful tea. It’s very nice tasting, but I don’t find it holds up as a strawberry rhubarb dessert. I do believe I over steeped it a bit as it was a little bitter. So this will go into my re- try pile, but I know I will be keeping it.

So I’ve always hated rhubarb, even though I haven’t tried it since I was very young. But I tried this tea, and somewhere along the line, the taste of rhubarb stop being disgusting, and I actually really liked it! I’ll have to try more…

Damn this tea smells exactly like the real thing. I can just close my eyes and imagine that I’m about to take a bite of my mother’s strawberry rhubarb crumble. The taste is surprisingly authentic as well, as I can clearly taste the sweet strawberries and the tart rhubarb on my tongue, although I keep thinking it should be sweeter. There’s even a slightly spicy hint of the ‘crumble’ part of the dessert though it’s pretty mild compared to the fruit flavours. I agree with the other people who said that this tea would be improved with a different base though, as I’m not sure the white tea really does much for this blend.

EDIT: Not bad on the resteep (@5:30) either though the cinnamon-y/bakey notes are stronger with the fruit flavours playing a lesser role.

this is not a tea i get excited about. and i could blame the hibiscus, but hibiscus or no hibiscus, i really i just think this tea is not very interesting. the scent doesn’t even really interest me. nothing about it draws me in. but it will probably be nice in the summer. and i do love cinnamon. so i see that as a perk.

I might have a slight strawberry rhubarb bias.

But damn, this tea is amazing. It definitely has the crumble taste that Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait is lacking, with a warm cinnamon-y flavor. I love both, but I think if I’m looking for a hot tea, I’d choose this one. It’s just SO expensive for the amount of tea in the blend. It would make more sense as an herbal, like the Parfait.

Still… I’m hoping to be able to order some more of this before it’s gone forever.

EDIT: Yeah, I’m still drinking this three hours later. I’ve resteeped it three times, and it hasn’t stopped being delicious. Stupid expensive tea…

this is the best best best white tea i’ve had!
definitely beats out davids strawberry rhubarb parfait – more warm spice and barely-there tart hibiscus.
the cinnamon is so lovely and comforting, but you still have that nice light frutiness from the strawberry, and a bit of zing from the hibiscus (basically acting as the rhubarb).
wonderful! definitely one to stock up on, a bit on the expensive side with the white tea and everything, but so so worth it.
thank goodness it’s a permanent online exclusive! <3

1 heaping TB for 450mL water plus 1 packet of stevia (equals 2tsp sugar)

YUM.

Real freeze-dried strawberries. Decent white tea. Rhubarb. Lovely. Tastes like it sounds, and tastes like it smell.s

This is another tea from this purveyor that has an incredible fragrance but the flavor is a off.

It smells sweet and strongly of berries, cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar. Once prepared, this takes on more of a tart, green fragrance.

The initial flavor was sour and tart. It eventually developed a bit of spiciness from the cinnamon and there was a subtle, lingering strawberry aftertaste. The tea in this, however, was completely obliterated. The lack of any tea presence and the initial sourness made this a mediocre cup for me.

I received this as a sample with my Davids Tea order… decided to try it. This is a light tea… I am getting some strawberry flavor but more of a brown sugar, cinnamon crumble taste… which is delightful! I wouldn’t mind having more of this tea.

loooooooove it!!
I think the other strawberry white DT has takes the top spot but this one is a very close second! it really does taste just like a Rhubarb crumble. Tart and cinnamony, with straw-rhubarb sweetness in between. AND somehow, the white still manages to peek it’s head out. How could they have ever retired this one… well atleast it’s back, for the moment.
Only tea could bring me back from my weekend funk!!! It was odd, like I existed on a different plan than everyone else (save one girl, who was friendly) at the cottage. Oh well, live’n learn.
mmmmmmm strawberry rhubarb crumble… makes it alll better :)
EDIT: As the cup cools, hibiscus is becoming more pronounced. It’s more tart and floral now and a little bit less crumbley. While still good, this lowers my rating just a tad.

300th tasting note! Jeez!

For the occasion, I’m breaking in my newest teapot, a lovely little china piece my mother-in-law bought me for my birthday. It’s white with teddy bears and puppies. Of course, it also has a lovely inscription that I didn’t read until we got home:

“Wellington was left at a bus stop, where he was chewed on by a dog. Can you give him a loving home?”

…most depressing teapot ever. But I love it.

Thanks to the lovely people at http://steep.it/, I am now in the habit of only letting my white tea steep for 30 seconds, and they always turn out beautifully for me. I still prefer them cold, but I can appreciate them hot as well now.

I don’t know how it happens, but the short steeping time has given it more flavor than previously when I let it steep for 4-5 minutes. I love this tea. It’s warming and delicious and tastes just like my mom’s rhubarb crumble. Yum. Best way to celebrate my 300th note!

Excited to try this one! Dry, it smells reminiscent of the crisp topping that my mom would put on apple/rhubarb crisp in the summer. Delicious. I’m getting a juicy fruit smell as well, but wouldn’t place it as strawberry (or rhubarb) on my own. There’s a tartness too, that just makes your mouth water. Mmmmmm!

… ok, this is kind of disappointing. I accidently let the tea cool down to about room temperature, and I’m no longer getting any real smell OR taste from it. I swear it did have flavour though, because I had some when it was warm, I just didn’t have the chance to review it then!

Well, I guess I’ll wait until I brew it again for a rating. I do think it will be one of those teas that is ok/good, but not great, but I’ll try again first :)

I just purchased this online, as it has come “back from the dead”. My first try of this tea I brewed it to the exact parameters on the bag and thought it tasted awful because it was incredibly tart! Anyway, I decided that people must have voted for this tea for a reason, so I’m giving it another shot today. I used a lower temperature water than directed, hoping it wouldn’t be as tart as the first time I tried it. And it’s actually quite lovely.
It brews into a wonderful peach colour, though I expected the hibiscus and the strawberry to turn it a light pink. I added some agave to it to try and circumvent the tartness I had gotten before, and it tastes quite a bit like my mother’s strawberry rhubarb crumble in a cup, yet without the almost unbearable tartness of the rhubarb. I’m also getting some apple notes out of this tea, which I don’t enjoy so much, but overall it is an adequate blend. Not as good as some other DT blends, however. I also have a feeling that since its original release, these teas have been re-blended and don’t taste the same as they originally did. Can anyone corroborate this theory?
I do look forward to cold steeping this one! Update on that to come (eventually) :-)

I decided to give this tea a try today, I bought it back when it I bought my strawberry rhubarb parfait tea. Since I loved the Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait and I love white teas I thought I would love this tea as well. I was right, this tea is delicious sweet and tart in the best ways. Dry this tea has a lovely aroma that welcomes you to try it and steeped the aroma changes to a subtle cinnamon and fruity scent that warm and inviting. The tea’s colour is a beautiful clear light brown and the taste as I mentioned before was a lovely mix of sweet and tart with cinnamon underneath. Definitely a tea I’ll order more of.

Not quite like Mom’s but still delicious!

Growing up my mom used to make crumbles all the time, it is one of my favorite desserts to enjoy, so inherently this tea was a must. After trying it I will say it is certainly great, but it hasn’t made an overly amazing impression on me.

Dry it has a pleasing baked goods aroma, you can smell from the dry leaves that it is a slightly tart tea, and it certainly is. The final brew takes on a red hue from the strawberries and hibiscus, and as other posters have mentioned it is tart. First cup I has without any sweeteners in it to see how it tasted, and it was a little to tart for my liking, but there is a cure.

I was messing around with Mom’s Apple Pie and decided that it would be interesting to try it with brown sugar instead of raw sugar, as brown sugar is more caramelized it obviously has a sweeter taste and is more powerful, but is commonly used when baking such desserts. To my amazement it added just the right flavor to Mom’s Apple Pie to make me almost hoover up my entire tin so I tried it on my second cup of Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble and almost drank the entire cup in one gulp.